I have to admit, I was at a bar/grille (they don't serve food at Ohio University, the "grille" part is just for show) and I was a bit upset with what transpired during the draft last night, but after waking up this morning with a slight headache, I realized something: We did good.
Kyrie Irving is the only player in this draft that people think can be an All-Star. It's that simple. We got the best player in the draft and our best player on the team, Baron Davis, is excited to teach him. Davis is still a top 10 point guard in this league when he wants to be, and I am more than happy to hear that he is on board.
Irving can shoot it from everywhere and has natural point guard instincts. He will see time next to Davis in the back court right away, and that is where we will see that he is a much better scorer than advertised at. He will be a double digit scorer right off the bat if he receives the amount of minutes necessary.
The #4 pick is where things started to get a bit blurry. I had been hearing for most of the last two days that Tristan Thompson was being considered at 4, and after a late push from Dan Gilbert, the Texas power forward was the next selection. People, let's calm on this.
No one was all that excited to see Jonas Valanciunas, don't try to give me the b.s. that you wanted him here. The only reason why I was okay with it was the fact that we could suck next year while he got better in Europe. I'd much rather have Thompson. Besides, I think we all are forgetting our own Euro center, Semih Erdin. I think he's going to start at some point next year and contribute big time. That being said...
The south paw from Toronto does not have a polished inside game, but he seems to do the two things that the Cavaliers could not do at all last year: rebound and protect the rim. He will rebound right away as well as get garbage dunks and put backs from our bevy of shooters (I didn't say makers). We needed a guy who will play defense, run the floor, and clean the boards. He's better than Samuels, trust me.
So let's all calm down a tad, we still have time to make moves, get free agents, and use the TPE. There is time, and it's not like we have a gun to our heads to win the title next year, LeBron is gone, we can do this the right way. In Chris Grant I trust-- because we won this draft the day we traded for Baron Davis and the 1st pick, not last night. (Do I really need to talk about the 2nd round? No. We can sign everyone's precious David Lighty as a FA. I would.)
Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
2011 NBA Lottery Mock Draft
1 | Cleveland | Kyrie Irving PG Duke- The best player in the draft. He can shoot the 3 (46%), free throws (91%) and has the size + feel to really start the franchise over again. Easy choice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3pbLyHCOCo |
2 | Derrick Williams F | |
3 | Utah | Enes Kanter C/PF Kentucky- The first “surprise” of the draft. I don’t think they hold onto him either, with the Wizards hot for the little-tested Turk. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YzbhAQGPqk |
4 | Jonas Valanciunas C/PF | |
5 | Kemba Walker PG UConn- Toronto needs an identity as well as backcourt help. Even if he isn’t a true point guard, his scoring will be a welcomed addition next to Bargnani and Derozan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVNIB8dOkn8 | |
6 | Alec Burks SG Colorado- Washington needs another backcourt mate for Wall, and while Jordan Crawford came on late last season, but his size is probably better suited coming off the bench. Burks’ combo of size and scoring ability will make | |
7 | Jimmer Fredette PG BYU- This would allow Evans to move to the off guard and have a spot up shooter next to him when he becomes the primary ball handler late in games. Very underrated strength and ability to get to the hoop as well as his leadership qualities. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OgKn8VGHas | |
8 | Bismack Biyombo PF The Congo- Seems to me like a match made in Heaven. Wilcox and Maxiell are both tough energy players but neither have the rare combination of size and athleticism that Biyombo garnishes. Explosive dunker who wants to crush everything. Has time to develop a move or two in the post. | |
9 | Brandon Knight PG Kentucky- There’s really no way that Knight falls this far, someone will most definitely trade up to get him around the 4-6th picks, but if by some magical draft day miracle happens, Jordan will pounce on the big shooter at point guard from Kentucky. | |
10 | Tristan Thompson PF Texas- Playing next to Bogut will allow Thompson the opportunity to get a good amount of garbage baskets while he develops his offensive game more, and he will continue to solidify http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRskSXbkRSM | |
11 | Golden St. | Marcus Morris F Kansas- With new coach Mark Jackson size and versatility will be at a premium and maybe no player outside the top ten will be ready to make an impact on both sides of the ball like |
12 | Utah | Jan |
13 | Phoenix | Jordan Hamilton SG/SF Texas- Phoenix tried to bring Josh Childress back to the States along with Pietrus in the trade with the Magic, and neither really took hold of the starting 3 spot. Hamilton’s offensive game on the wing is one of the most complete in the draft, while his shot selection and defensive effort may be in question, the Suns would be thrilled to see him fall this far. |
14 | Chris Singleton F http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfRDj_HHfFE | |
15 | Klay Thompson SG |
Is Camp Colt Really Worth It?
I’m not so naive to think that Colt doesn’t have some version of Shurmur’s playbook somewhere tightly tucked into his saddle somewhere, but what I really am unsure of, is whether or not these camps are worth the risk that players are putting out there.
Greg Little and Jordan Cameron have not signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns. They are not being paid, they are owed no money, and technically, the only connection they have to the organization is that they were picked by the Browns and have all of their rights in order to negotiate a contract. What if Little tears his ACL at one of these camps? What leverage does he have to ask for even 3rd round pick money? These rookies are getting a lot of pressure from teammates, and especially the media, to risk their first real money as a professional, so they can jog around on a field and catch passes from Colt or Wallace.
I am also in the wagon of people that thinks these little camps are nothing more than a stick to the NFL, saying, “Hey we don’t need the NFL to get together to run mini camps or OTAs, we can do it on our own.” These players attending these camps are the same exact players that complain EVERY YEAR those OTAs and mini camps are too long, and that the NFL doesn’t have a long enough offseason. At least in mini camp and OTAs people are getting paid, players are receiving a salary.
Which camp has gotten the most plug so far? Oh yeah, that’s right, the Drew Brees camp, doesn’t that make anyone wonder when he is by far the most vocal player in these labor disputes? I for one am surprised he has enough time on his hands to do either these camps or dispute labor problems when at the age of 32 he is still in New Orleans bars starting chants and other weird stuff that he learned to do at Purdue.
Maybe I am cynical, but I just don’t think these camps are doing much of anything for the players, and that the risk these younger players are putting them through, just really isn’t worth it. Joe Thomas recently just said he is enjoying his time off, and that the offseason is really way too long in the first place. I’m gonna go ahead and listen to our captain and best football player since the Browns came back in 1999, and not worry about the offseason workouts.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Why Derrick Williams at #1 Would Be A Mistake
This NBA season allowed my inner draft geek to get off for the Cavs like I haven’t been able to in sometime. We were terrible, and with a terrible team it allowed me to start looking at players for the Cavs around… well, January. I am a draft geek. I love watching YouTube videos and I love looking at mock drafts. This season having two top five selections it has allowed me to look at just about every draft website known to man, scouring many mock drafts, and picking the brains of any scout or reporter that I could. This year it was very easy for me to realize which sites had any brains in their operations.
How in the world could the Cavs NOT take Kyrie Irving number one overall? The thought of them passing up on someone who scouts talked about as the best player in college when he was healthy all year, for a guy who snuck into the minds of many draft gurus during the NCAA tournament, blows my mind. People want to talk about Derrick Williams and how versatile he is, and how he can play the small forward position in the NBA, but I have three major issues with what everyone gushes over him about.
Number one: If he is a small forward, why didn’t he play it in college? This parallels what my dad hates more than anything in the world, the defensive end you take in college football that’s supposed to stand up and play linebacker in the NFL. Why would you take a chance on changing a guy’s position at the FIRST PICK in the draft? That doesn’t seem logical to me when there is a point guard who comes from an elite program that will be ready to play meaningful minutes at the position he has played his entire life, not to mention the most important position on the court. I for one am not picking a project linebacker over the best quarterback in the draft.
Number two: He will take away minutes from the only position the Cavs have decent talent at. Even if one day Williams can play the 3 spot, he is going to have to play 4 right away in order to get him onto the court and appease fans for taking him number one overall anyways. The issue? J.J. Hickson grew into his own by the end of the season, averaging almost 17 points and 11 rebounds over his last 23 games. Why would we want to stifle the growth of what is probably the Cavaliers best young player going into his all-important fourth season? Along with Antawn Jamison and Anderson Varejao, it seems the Cavs could use more help at the center position, not another player to throw into the mix at the 4.
Number three: Something about Williams, when I hear him talk or I read his tweets, gets to me. I can’t put my finger on it, but this #23 has a little bit of a cockiness to him that seems to go a little further than just confidence in his game. And maybe this is just me, but a guy who supported LeBron vehemently all season until the Cavaliers got the number one pick just doesn’t sit well with me. Maybe I am just gun shy, but this guy to me looks like he wants a little bit more from his NBA experience than living in Cleveland
All of my concerns may change however, if we are able to get the both of them, which is more and more looking like something the Cavaleirs are trying to do. If we could make this a tandem of Irving and Williams, I think that the Cavs would have taken a very quick first step into rebuilding on the fly. Together these two would be great building blocks to start the franchise back up with, but I would rather have Irving
Not In First, But Not Out Of It Yet
This is the first time in 68 games that Indians are not at the top of AL Central, and while this may have been coming for a few weeks or so, I think this is as good of time as any to relay an important message to the Cleveland
The Indians are 35-30, much better than just about anyone can say they expected without having their fingers crossed behind their backs. The pitching, which many people expected to be their downfall, has been a strength for them all season. Masterson has gone without a win since June, but still has posted a very good 3.15 ERA this season, Tomlin has 7 wins midway through June, and Carrasco has allowed 0 runs in his last 15 innings pitched which were both 1-0 victories for the Indians.
Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, and rookie Alex White are all missing time this season, contributing to the fact that this is the hardest stretch that the Tribe has gone through all year. Combine that with series against the Rangers, Twins, Yankees, and Tigers, its no surprise to the average baseball fan that the Indians have started to hit the skids at this point in the season, but is it time to panic?
There are two different ways to panic at this juncture in the season, and I will tell you why we should do neither of those. First, people are screaming for the Dolans to “make a move.” I am no fan of the Dolan family’s “come to the ballpark and show us you can win and we’ll spend money” philosophy, while at the same time I am evenly upset with the fans that scream “spend more money and I will show up to root.” Neither this chicken nor this egg is going to budge, so I think everyone should take a deep breathe and calm down. Grab a Faygo.
The other spastic approach people are taking to this team is what my friend, who will remain nameless (it’s Pat Blackley), wants to do, and that is to bring up all the youngsters. If I had to pick a camp to make my lodgings in, it would probably be this one, however dumping all of our veterans already, before we are even out of the race seems a bit reckless to me. Yes, we could stand to see Austin Kearns and Adam Everett hit greener pastures, but we aren’t with this club everyday to see what they bring to the ballclub behind the scenes. Kearns and Everett
Why do I have hope? Why am I willing to stay put right now and wait it out? Well how about the fact that this is the same exact team that went 30-15? Can we please wait for Travis Hafner to come off of the DL to solidify and perhaps anchor this lineup like he is capable of? One month is all I am asking. We are still over .500 and can be right back in first place with a win over the Tigers tonight. We have been waiting since 2007 to watch meaningful baseball again, or at least I have, and I am not so ready to just blow everything back up.
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